For many years, our creative agency looked for a reliable web development partner. We wanted someone to take our completed designs and code them into websites that functioned beautifully on desktop, mobile, and tablet, and in every browser.
At first, it didn’t seem like it would be too difficult. After all, the world is full of great developers, so it couldn’t be too hard to find someone to do this, could it? Turns out it could.
After years of hair-pulling working with freelance developers and pretty much every major PSD to HTML conversion and PSD to WordPress conversion service out there, we finally had enough.
We asked ourselves: if we, as designers, were to start a Design to HTML Conversion service, what would we do differently?
At that moment, Reliable was born.
In this post, we want to share with you the frustrations we experienced when working with other PSD to HTML and PSD to WordPress companies, and how we changed the game when we started our very own.
Problem: Never-ending lists of changes.
One of the biggest frustrations we experienced both when working with freelance developers and other major PSD to HTML conversion companies, was the never-ending list of changes.
We would spend countless hours crafting beautiful designs, laboring over every detail. We’d get the completed websites back with elements misaligned or missing altogether, wrong fonts and font sizes, and the list goes on and on. My heart would sink every time I’d open the “completed” files and find a website that looked completely different from what I had designed.
We’d spend hours upon hours writing out changes and providing screenshots. When we’d send them back to the developers, only a few would get fixed and the rest ignored.
This became incredibly frustrating as weeks turned to months and we still could never seem to get what we wanted—a perfectly functioning website that matched our design to a T.
Solution: Add a designer to the mix.
The missing piece in every PSD to HTML conversion service out there is that there’s no designer testing the work. This is such an obvious and integral part of the process, we were amazed no other company was doing it.
At Reliable, once the website is coded and tested by a senior developer, a designer reviews the project with an eagle’s eye and looks for discrepancies. Developers are awesome at what they do, and they often even have a great eye, but design usually isn’t what they live and breathe day in and day out. Nothing beats a designer looking over your project. And they’ll go back and forth with the developer as many times as necessary to get it perfect, so you don’t have to.
Your PSD to HTML or PSD to WordPress project is exactly how you wanted it (or very close to it!) the first time around.
Problem: Poor code quality.
Good code is the number one most important factor when coding a website, and it should be the bread and butter of a PSD to HTML conversion service, but in our endless search for good quality, the code we encountered was average at best.
There were so many bugs and strange glitches, things that just didn’t work right, issues in different browsers, etc. But most importantly, and this might sound strange, the code just didn’t ‘feel’ good. It felt hurried, sloppily put together – like there was no love and care put into it.
Solution: Hire amazingly talented developers who live and breathe code.
When we first set off to start Reliable, we knew that a PSD to HTML and PSD to WordPress company lived and died with its developers. That’s why we needed to find passionate developers who loved code as much as we love design. Developers who read up on the latest coding advancements in their free time, who can’t sleep at night if their code is messy, and who don’t take shortcuts.
So we did just that. And our code speaks for itself. Every single person on our team loves what they do, and they love to do it well.
Problem: Slow, generic customer service.
Something else we were constantly running into with PSD to HTML conversion was poor customer service. Many times there was an obvious language barrier, but aside from that, it appeared there was no attempt to be friendly or helpful.
Often it seemed like the person on the other end of the keyboard or phone had no idea how to answer our questions or solve the issues we were experiencing. So building rapport and having a nice working relationship was out of the question.
Not only that, communication was sporadic. It could be days before we heard anything back from the people were working with, leaving us stressed out and in the dark.
Solution: Go above and beyond, in every interaction.
When we started our PSD to HTML conversion company, we knew it would be challenging to find the right people for customer service as they had to have several important qualities:
- They had to be super nice, friendly, and helpful
- They had to be very good, eloquent writers and speakers for both email and phone conversations
- They had to have at a minimum a basic understanding of design, design concepts, and design lingo, but ideally, they’d be a designer.
- They had to have at a minimum a basic understanding of coding, coding concepts, and coding lingo.
This can be a tough combination of qualities to find, but we searched long and hard and were relieved to find such people do exist.
The customer service we give our customers is everything we always wanted but never got: extremely friendly, helpful, attentive, and caring. Be it through email or phone, our customer service is our brand, and we maintain it in every interaction.
We wanted our customers to feel that we’re in their corner: we’re also an agency, we’re also designers, and we get what they need because we need it too! And that’s exactly why we can do a better job than anybody else.
Our communication is also very timely. We make sure to respond to every question and inquiry as quickly as possible so you can get the answers you need right away.
Problem: Missed Deadlines.
If you’re looking for a PSD to HTML conversion service, you usually either need a site developed for yourself or for a client. This was the case with us. Sticking to deadlines is crucial when working with clients. Your own work and pay are on the line, and you have to be able to deliver the work when you said you would.
In all the years we worked with other PSD to HTML and PSD to WordPress companies, as well as freelance developers, it was very rare that a deadline would be honored. Projects would always be late, and the amount of time required to go back and forth with the endless lists of changes would increase the project timeline tenfold. We’ve lost sleep, time, and money over missed deadlines, so we know exactly how stressful it is to be put in that position.
Solution: A commitment to realistic deadlines.
At Reliable, a deadline means a deadline. We’re often able to deliver the project in less time than we estimate in our quote, but we make sure to always give ourselves the amount of time necessary to complete the project. Plus a little extra just in case any unforeseen complications pop up.
We have firsthand knowledge of exactly how important being on time is both to our customers, and their customers, so we make sure we’re on time, every time. No exceptions.
Ready for a new and improved PSD to HTML conversion experience?
Reliable has been and is a labor of love for us. We’ve been able to give our customers a memorable, positive experience and a sense of camaraderie they hadn’t experienced before with a development partner. Many of our clients become our friends. We swap horror stories and success stories since we’re all in it together. It’s just that kind of feel-good environment.
We would love the opportunity to share this with you. Just click here and submit your project for a quote. You’ll hear back from one of our amazingly friendly project managers in lightning speed. They’ll get you all the info you need, and answer any questions you may have! And hopefully, then you can join our Reliable family.
